Combined lock and seal device



Jan. 19, 1954 A. WELCH COMBINED LOCK AND SEAL DEvIcE Filed Nov. :5, 1950 IN VEN TOR. Al/cwoz as /I. WEL c H.

. sha/ Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED LOCK AND SEAL DEVICE Nicholas A. Welch, West Hartford, 001111., assignor to The American Hardware Corporation, NewBritain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 3, 1950, Serial No. 193,817

removing or destroying the sealing member and thereby providingan indication that the lock has been tampered with.

A further, object of my invention is'to provide sealing means which are particularly adapted for padlocks, and which are highly efiicient in the operation thereof and may be incorporated in a padlock in a very inexpensive manner.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will'be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a padlock which contains my improved sealing means.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with parts thereof shown in section, illustrating the construction of the lock and sealing means.

Fig. 3 is an end view of said lock, section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front view, partly in section, illustrating my improved sealing means when incor- I porated in a padlock having a master sleeve.

Fig.5 is a bottomview thereof, partly in section, on line 55 of Fig. 4. r

Fig. 6 is a front view of the padlock case showing ajmodified form of slot formation therein.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a key plug illustrating a modified form of slot formation therein.

Fig. 8 is a side view of said key plug. I

Fig. 9 is a front view of a padlock case illustrating the use of a round hole therethrough in lieu'of the slot.

Fig. 10 is-an elevational view of a key which may. be used in conjunction with the form of the padlock illustrated in Fig. 9. V

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes the case of a padlock in which a shackle member 6 is moveable ,to locked and unlocked positions; the said shackle member being retained in locked position in said case by means of a conventional locking bolt, not shown, which is commonly controlled by a key operated plug 7 that is rotatable within the case by means of a key intended for saidmechanism and adapted to operate a series of tumblers 8 in order to release the said plug and the provisionof means whereby the said lock ybe sealed with a frangible sealing member preventoperation of the key operated mecha- 11 Claims.

partly in I nism, particularly when the shackle member is in its locked condition so that it cannot be operated 'to' its unlocked position without the sealing member first having been removed or damaged and thereby giving indication that the lock has been tampered with by an unauthorized person.

suchsealing means preferably comprise a slot 9, or other suitable opening, which extends through the case 5 and across the opening I 0 therein which contains the plug 1, and a slot II which extends through the said plug and is in alignment with the slot 9 so as to provide an opening extending entirely through the case and plug, as illustrated in Fig. 3, which will receive a ribbon-like frangiblesealing member I2.

When the lock is thus sealed, the sealing member will connect the plug to the case so that it cannot be rotated with the key or any other" member, without breaking or greatly damaging the sealing member and thereby providing an in- If desired, in order to facilitate the manufacture and thereby reduce the cost of producing this sealing means, the case and plug may be constructed as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 wherein a notch B-a. is cut across the bottom portion of the case, to take the place of the slot 9, and the slot I l a the plug is formed with a T formation to permit the cutting of said slot with a mill- ;ing operation.

In the-formation illustrated in Figs, 4 and 5, V the lock includes a master sleeve I4, and this.

sleeve is also provided with a slot l5 which extends through the sleeve and is in alignment with. the slots 9 and I I through the case and key plug so that a frangible seal inserted through the slots in this type of a lock will seal the master sleeve, in addition to the plug, against operation.

It will be understood that, if desired, round 4 31 .holes may be used instead of the above described slots, as shown at It in Fig. 9, to further reduce the cost of manufactureand a frangible wire sealing member may be used instead of the ribbonlike member I2.

cabinets containing emergency equipment, such as fire-fighting apparatusand the like, it is necin such padlocks it has been necessary to break T When a padlock is employed to lock cases or It is still desirable,

The form of my improved padlock and seal illustrated in Fig. 9 is particularly suited forthcabove described purpose and, when so used, the operating key l1 illustrated in Fig. 10;.isprovidd" with a hole It therethrough which, when thekey is in operating position in the lock plug, is aligned with the hole I6. A frangible wire seal may then be passed through the openings-1.6 andi.l:8. thus' sealing the key in the lock plug and also preventing rotation of the plug, but still permittingimmediate operation of the key when the seal is brokenincase of an emergency. With this arrangement, the operating key is-always-readily accessible and can not become lost. Furthermore: if the seal is broken in theabsence ofan. emergency, an indication willbe given: that theapparatus has been tampered with.

It will be understood that the key may be pro-- vided with a slot instead of. the opening l8 and used: with other forms of the look as illustrated.

I claimz.

1. Alockadapted'for use as a seal device ineluding a lock body having aligned openings therein, ,and a key-operated mechanismin. said body: including a rotatable key plug having an opening extendingv therethroughwhich is alignable with the openingsinsaid body; said openingsbeing: adapted to: receive-a sealingmember for preventing. operation. of said rotatable key plug.

.2 A-lock adapted for 11568.83; seal device comprising a. lock case having an opening therethrough, and-a key-operated mechanism in said case including a movable member having a keyslot-and. an opening extending therethrough in communicationwith' saidkey slot; the: said. openings being alignable to receive-a sealing member for. preventing: the insertion of a key into 'said key slotv ,3... A.lock. adapted for use as a seal device com.-- prising. a'lock case having. an opening therethrough, and akey-operated mechanism in said case includingv a rotatableplug having a key slot.

therein and anopening extending therethrough.

in-communication. with. said key slot;v the said: openings being alignable to receive a a sealing member for.,.preventing rotation of the said key plug and insertion of a key into: the said key slot..

4. Avlock adapted for use asa seal device in.-

cludingalock case having an opening therethrough, and a. key-operated. mechanism in said caseincluding a rotatablekey plug anda rotatable master sleeve surrounding said key plug: the said .case, plug and master. sleeve having aligned. openings extending, therethrough to receive; a. sealing. member for preventing operation;

:6... .A lock,adaptedv for use; as a seal .device-com-- prising; a. lock. case having, a. notch: therein, and

a key-operated mechanism in said case including awrotatabl'e: plug; the said plug having a slot therein which is alignable'with thenotch to provide an opening extending through said lock for the reception of a sealing member to prevent the operation of said mechanism.

'71 A lock adapted for use as a seal device comprising a case having an opening extending therethrough, and. akey-operated mechanism in said caseincluding a rotatable plug; said plug having a T-slot extending through a portion thereofl and. in. alignment with the opening extending through the lock for the reception of a sealing'member to prevent the operation of said mechanism.

fil -A lock. adapted for use as a seal: device comprising-5a: case. 'havingan opening therethrough, anda key-operated: mechanism within said: case including a rotatable plug having a key-slot therein; a-portiorroisaid plug being provided with: a T-slot; which-extendsthereacross in. communicationwi-thsaid key-slot and is. alignablewith the: opening-inthe case tothereby provide anvopening extending through said lock for the reception of.- a frangiblesealing member to preven-tdnsertionr 'ot a key into the key-slot.

9. A combined lock and key adapted for use as-aseal device comprising a lock. case having an opening. therethrough, a lock mechanism in said case including. a rotatable. member having an opening. extending therethroughinv alignment with the opening in said. case, and a key extending. into said rotatable member for operatingsaid member; the. said. key having an. openingwtherethrough in alignment with the openingsin the case and rotatable member to thereby provide an opening. extending through. thelock to receive a frangible sealforpreventing. rotation of the rotatable memberand removal or the key from said. member.

10'. A look adapted for use as a seal device including alook body having an opening therein, and a key-operated mechanism in said body including arotatable key .plug' having an opening therein that is. alignable with the opening in. said body; .sai'd'l openings being adapted to receive aseali'ngmember for preventing operation of said key plug.

11. A combined lock and key adapted for use as a seal device comprisinga lock case having an opening, ther'ethrough, a lock mechanism in said' case including a rotatable member having an opening extendingther'ethrough in alignment with. the opening in said case, and a key extending" into' said rotatable member for operating' said member and having an opening therethrough; the openings in said case and rotatable member and said key being adapted to receive a seal memberfor preventing rotation of the rotatable member and removal of the key therefrom.

NICHOLAS" A. WELCH.

References Cited in: the file of this patent STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 55,1'66 Saladee May 29, 1.866 229L003" Mason June 22, 1880 11,629,388 Jackson May 17,. 1927 1,867,689 'Va'n'Leer' July 19,1932

FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 14,957 GreatlBritain t.-...,. -.1902; 209,450 Germany -rr r May 1 1909 

